Throughout history, people have employed various devices in order to appropriately display articles such as pictures, photographs and certificates of award or recognition. These devices include the traditional picture frame that is used for the wall mounting of articles. Such frames, usually rigid three-dimensional structures, require some form of hooking device mounted on the wall working in tandem with a wire or protrusion attached to the back of the frame, thereby enabling the frame to hang on the surface of a wall. Another type of framing device utilizes a brace that extends from the back of the frame, thereby allowing the frame to stand on a level surface such as a desk or table top.
A shortcoming of both of these framing devices is that their relative cost prevents them from being widely used to display informal candid photographs of people, pets, or scenery taken during parties, vacations, or everyday occurrences. Many such photographs are displayed on a refrigerator, filing cabinet or locker using a magnet. Such method of display offers no form of protection for the article--nor is it particularly attractive aesthetically. This lack of protection results, in many cases, in some type of disfigurement of the display either in the form of torn or curled edges or damage to the face of the article.
Another form of informal display involves putting the article beneath a glass table or desk top or the clear cover sheet of a desk blotter. Such display is limited in that the article is usually visible only to the person sitting behind the desk or table.
An inexpensive, easy-to-use device and method for framing that would allow for both the protection and display of significant numbers of candid photographs and other articles on any surface and at modest cost would be an important advancement in the art.